DC HeroClix Legacy Sneak Peek 1 - Flash

Designer Note
One of the first things people will notice about this version of the Flash is that he’s not faster than the Jay Garrick Flash from Hypertime. Those who know the story might have a case to argue that that this Flash should be faster, but such an argument doesn’t translate well to the game. In the time Jay Garrick Flash has been around, it’s become clear that characters with Hypersonic Speed can be a problem if they’re not balanced carefully. Hence, the Kingdom Come Flash is faster than almost everyone else. He’s still very effective, and I hope his speed won’t irk too many people.

That said, Flash was an odd piece to design. I wanted to make sure he could do more than some of the previous versions of the Flash; that is, give him options but still make him the Flash. To that end I gave him a very high natural defense and just a bit of Outwit at the start of his dial. The Outwit is interesting because his stats and powers are constant enough that you’ll be tempted to push him off that first click, but if you do you’ll lose Outwit, which can be very useful for him or his teammates. A bit down the dial he gets Quake, which should be interesting in the right situations. Finally, near the end of the dial his gets some Super Senses, which gives him the chance to stick around a bit longer and cause more problems for your opponents.

Playtip
Kingdom Come Flash is a character of extremes. On one hand, he shares the highest Defense in the game with Kingdom Come Green Lantern – the big 20 – and it never drops below 14, but his Damage stays a steady 2 for his entire dial. However, at 150 points, he may be one of the most useful characters ever created. He has Hypersonic Speed for his entire dial (which makes sense, considering he’s barely more than a red blur in the comic book), and starts with a movement of 15. Even better, he has Flight, so he can Hypersonic around terrain like it’s not even there. His Attack starts at a strong 12, but drops steadily with each click. He’s also completely dependent on his high Defense to avoid taking damage, and he’s still vulnerable to pushing, so he’s kind of a “dancing on eggshells” sort of piece.

Kingdom Come Flash is best played as a secondary assault piece, which means he’s better suited to 400-point games and above based on his point value. Because his Damage can never reach more than 5, he’s never going to be a potential bruiser, but his mobility makes him the ultimate harassment piece. He has front-end Outwit for a click, allowing him to strip opponents of a Defensive power before hitting them, and his Kingdom Come Team Ability will hopefully prevent him from being Charged and clobbered past the point of usefulness.

Because it’s so risky for Flash to take damage, and because the Kingdom Come ability relies on a die roll, it’s best to play him with one or more friends that have Probability Control. Back him up with a bruiser or two, and you’ve got the makings of a tournament-caliber team.